Located in Flathead County, Montana, Avalanche Lake is a lake at about 1,192 m (3,911 ft) above sea level. It lies in or next to Glacier National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. It sits roughly 43 km (27 mi) NE of Columbia Falls.
Avalanche Lake is located in Glacier National Park, in the U. S. state of Montana. Avalanche Lake is southwest of Bearhat Mountain and receives meltwater from Sperry Glacier. Avalanche Lake is a 2 miles (3.2 km) hike from the trailhead along the Trail of the Cedars. The trail roughly follows Avalanche Creek, a whitewater creek that drains out of Avalanche Lake and drains into Haystack Creek. When measured in August 1910, the maximum depth of the lake was 63 feet (19 m) near the upper end.From the Wikipedia article “Avalanche Lake (Flathead County, Montana)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
From the National Park Service
The Avalanche Lake Trailhead is located off the Trail of the Cedars. The trail climbs steadily through an old growth forest to an alpine lake with outstanding waterfalls.
Avalanche Lake 2.3 mi (3.7 km), one way Elevation gain: 741 ft (226 m) Elevation loss: 275 ft (84 m) Trailhead: Avalanche Picnic Area
While in Glacier National Park, please maintain extra awareness around water, steep dropoffs, and wildlife. You are responsible for your own safety.
Text: National Park Service (public domain) — nps.gov.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Avalanche Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 52° (NE) at the June solstice and 126° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 308° (NW) in June to 234° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 65° in summer but only 18° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:39 AM | 89° E | 7:48 PM | 271° W | 41° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:33 AM | 52° NE | 9:42 PM | 308° NW | 65° | 16h 09m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:22 AM | 89° E | 7:35 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:26 AM | 126° SE | 4:42 PM | 234° SW | 18° | 8h 16m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Lakes reflect best in calm air — usually the first hour after sunrise, before breezes ripple the surface.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:48 AM | 8:23 AM | 9:15 AM | 4:15 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:43 PM | 8h 44m |
| February | 7:11 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:29 AM | 5:12 PM | 5:57 PM | 6:29 PM | 10h 13m |
| March | 7:18 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:31 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:12 PM | 11h 51m |
| April | 6:12 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:27 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:26 PM | 9:00 PM | 13h 41m |
| May | 5:17 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:41 AM | 8:24 PM | 9:10 PM | 9:48 PM | 15h 15m |
| June | 4:51 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:22 AM | 8:51 PM | 9:40 PM | 10:22 PM | 16h 07m |
| July | 5:09 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:37 AM | 8:46 PM | 9:34 PM | 10:14 PM | 15h 45m |
| August | 5:54 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:13 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:27 PM | 14h 23m |
| September | 6:41 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:54 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:22 PM | 12h 37m |
| October | 7:24 AM | 7:56 AM | 8:39 AM | 6:04 PM | 6:47 PM | 7:19 PM | 10h 51m |
| November | 7:10 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:34 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 12m |
| December | 7:45 AM | 8:22 AM | 9:17 AM | 3:46 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:17 PM | 8h 18m |
Local time (America/Denver), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Avalanche Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from May through July. June gives the longest window (about 2.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 12° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| April | 4:25 AM – 4:35 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 2:22 AM – 3:12 AM | 0.8 | 12° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:23 AM – 3:03 AM | 2.7 | 12° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 12:31 AM – 1:11 AM | 0.7 | 12° | S → SSW |
| August | 11:01 PM – 11:01 PM | 0.0 | 10° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.92 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 3.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 39% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (72%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 34 | 38 | 46 | 66 | 75 | 83 | 90 | 92 | 86 | 74 | 54 | 37 |
| Low °F | -32 | -39 | -37 | -12 | 15 | 23 | 34 | 32 | 13 | -3 | -27 | -40 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.3 | 3.8 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 4.5 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 2.3 | 3.4 | 4.4 | 4.2 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this lake
- After sunset, long exposures smooth wind ripples into glass.
- For mirror reflections, get low and close to the water; the reflection grows with a lower camera.
- A polarizer can remove reflections to show the lakebed — or keep them, depending on rotation.
- Mist often lifts off lakes on cold mornings after warm days, especially in autumn.
- Include shoreline rocks, reeds or a log as foreground to give the reflection depth.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: Autumn mornings bring mist and fall color; high-elevation lakes are usually ice-free only from early summer to mid-autumn.
Suggested gear: Tripod, Circular polarizer, Wide-angle lens, Waterproof boots. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Avalanche Lake, closest first.
Waterfall
Mountain Peak
Lake
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Lake
Glacier
Mountain Peak
Fire LookoutCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Avalanche Campground3.3 km (2.0 mi) · reservable
- Sprague Creek Campground9.2 km (5.7 mi) · reservable
- Many Glacier Campground17.5 km (10.9 mi) · reservable
- Fish Creek Campground19.0 km (11.8 mi) · reservable
- Apgar Campground21 km (13 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Avalanche Lake?
What time is golden hour at Avalanche Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Avalanche Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Avalanche Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Avalanche Lake?
How far is Avalanche Lake from Columbia Falls?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, National Park Service, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.